A few weeks ago, my wife and I took advantage of the reciprocal agreement between the Seaport and the Mystic Museum of Art to view the wonderful Norman Rockwell display. When we entered, the young lady at the front noticed my UConn Alumni hat and told us that she was also a recent UConn grad.

I told her I was a “few“ years ahead of her – 1969!

Lora and I enjoyed the exhibit of Saturday Evening Post covers, especially the ones we remembered from our youth. As a former member of Mystic’s Troop 34, I’d enjoy seeing a display of Rockwell’s Boys’ Life covers.

I have some fond memories of the building that houses the museum. When I was in early elementary school at Mystic Academy, I learned to roller skate at the Gallery. I believe these lessons were offered by the Mystic Community Center, long before it bought the garage on Pearl Street, where I also spent a lot of time as a youth.

We all got to make use of those skills when the Galaxy Skating Rink opened in Groton. My father was a friend of John Trolan, the organist there.

In more recent times the Gallery was the venue for my daughter’s wedding reception in the summer of 2003. Since the wedding took place at St. Mark’s on Pearl Street, guests simply walked to the site following the bridesmaids and the bride and groom. Traffic stopped, and dozens of tourists waved, cheered, and photographed the procession.

As a youngster, I visited an optometrist, Dr. Linzen, and dentist, Dr. Schuster on Water Street. Of course, every kid in Mystic bought penny candy at what we called Little Mooney’s, near Wally’s Gulf Station.

The Art Gallery was about as far down Water Street as I ever ventured.

Standard Machinery, across the street, was still in operation, and much beyond that point the area was pretty run down. It was certainly not the high rent district!

Things have certainly changed, at least in terms of property values and rents. Water Street used to boast of the car barn and the powerhouse, which are now condominiums. The Daniel Packer homestead has been turned into an excellent restaurant.

The Standard Machinery building, which became Factory Square, has a restaurant and apartments. Several watering holes are also located on the east side of the street.

This is a far cry from the Mystic I remember as a youngster. As far as I know, the only bar on the Groton side of the river was the Modern Grill. On the east side there was a tavern on Cottrell Street and the Polish Club on Holmes Street.

Downtown is now a mix of residential and commercial, including several night spots. While this revitalization has certainly helped improve the buildings on Water Street, residents of the area have mixed emotions, as noted in the minutes of the Groton Town Council meeting of Sept. 6, 2022.

One woman is quoted as saying “there is a lack of restrooms and people are relieving themselves in private gardens.” Another commented on the “destruction of gardens, under the weight of drunken frat boys…”

Yet another complained about the “loud music radiating through her home and vibrating the bed.” There appears to be a lack of recognition of private property and the right of residents to quiet enjoyment of their homes. One woman, quoted in the minutes, fears “that we are becoming an ‘anything goes’ kind of town.”

We can all be grateful that some of these old buildings have been saved. The first was probably the Emporium, which was once a residence. This renewal has led to a significant increase in property values and taxes, but at what cost in terms of the quality of life for the people who live in Mystic.